Earlier this week my little girl and I were riding in the car and listening to the ever-depressing news that seems to flood our stations, when the news anchor quickly mentioned the word “Bible.”  My two-year-old shouted to me, “Momma, he said Bible! He said Bible!”

There in the routines of another morning, I felt like the Lord gave me a small reward.  In that fleeting moment, He revealed to me that my daughter’s heart – yet young and small – is beginning to understand what I have been teaching her.

We live in a world where moral standards and truths are based on shifting human opinion, changing with the latest trend. With Mother’s Day approaching, God continues to remind me that my responsibility as her mother is to raise her on the foundation of His precious and perfect Word.

Although she is only two, my heart’s desire is to teach her what the Bible is: God’s Word. God’s love. God’s truth. God’s promise. As she grows, I want the Bible to be the foundation of the choices she makes and what she believes. So this last week, each morning we have been singing-

 The B-I-B-L-E
Yes, that’s the book for me
I stand alone on the Word of God
The B-I-B-L-E

I am only at the beginning of this long journey of motherhood, but I am continuously looking back at how God blessed me beyond my imagination with a godly mom and grandmothers. I had beautiful, strong women in my family who taught me by example. Each sought after God’s own heart by turning to God’s Word for wisdom every step in life; getting on their knees to fight for their children’s hearts in prayer and petition.

From my earliest memories, God’s Word has been alive and active in our home. I would come down in the mornings and see my mother with her Bible and hot tea, studying Scripture. It was also a nightly custom to have family devotions and prayer. It didn’t matter if we were in the middle of our homework or already in bed, we had to gather together as a family in prayer.

Even in my grandmother Ruth’s last years, she would memorize Scripture which had been printed off for her in 150-size font. She was never too old or too sick to read God’s Word and place it in her heart.

I don’t mention these practices as a pat on my family’s back or to say my family did it perfectly, but as a reminder to me of where my family placed their foundation and where they sought wisdom in an ever-compromising world.

Watching the news, reading Facebook articles, or skimming the latest tweets can be depressing and maddening for a Christian; especially for a Christian parent. It seems as if every day we are losing the battle. My greatest obligation is to teach my sweet, innocent daughter what Truth is, but how do we do that in a country that legalizes sin, mocks and persecutes Christians, and flaunts sin in the streets and the media? I’ll admit that as a mom, I fear for my daughter.

We need to fight the evil of this world by opening up our Bibles in our homes and around our tables. Psalm 128:3 says, “your children will be like olive shoots around your table.” The table in the household is where I believe a family is made. Use the time around your table to teach and instruct your family. We have a small window of about 16 years with our “olive shoots” before they face the world on their own. Use that time wisely.

Not only did my mom use the kitchen table, but her car was her mission field as well. Many mornings she used that precious time in the car to talk to us about sex, peer pressure, drinking and protecting our hearts. It was uncomfortable at times, but my mom knew she had to talk about those tough issues with her children. She couldn’t allow the world to shape our hearts and minds.

This Mother’s Day I remind myself to learn from the generation that has gone before me. Whether that is my biological family or the “motherly figures” God has placed in my life during different chapters, I can learn from the women who have followed the words of Jeremiah when he said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

Cissie Lynch is the granddaughter of Billy Graham and daughter of Franklin Graham. Read more from Cissie at cissiegrahamlynch.com, or follow her on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.